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Authors: Steve Perry
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curses.” He reached up and gripped something unseen under his shirt.
“Any idea what it’s supposed to be?” Indy asked. “This place?”
“No. The story speaks of a gris-gris there—what the form is, they do not say. Only that the site is cursed and horrors await unwary visitors.”
Indy nodded. Of course. What else was new?
He knew those terms: Ju-ju. Gris-gris. They came out of Africa, and generally referred to fetishes imbued with magic. Sometimes small leather bags of things blessed by a witch doctor, fingernails, hair, stones, animal teeth, but they could be other items—skulls, bones, or jewels. A black pearl would fit in.
Once, when he was young and thought he knew it all, Indy would have scoffed at such things as magic. He was a scientist, an educated man, not superstitious. But—after dealing with the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail? Seeing men—and a woman—turn into big spotted cats? A dragon? Only an idiot would continue to ignore the possibilities. Science did not have all the answers, and whatever else he might be, he wasn’t an idiot.
Well, not most of the time . . .
“How long do you think it will take us to get there?” That from Marie.
Batiste shrugged again. “I cannot say. We must go through the densest forest—the cliffs on the south side and the northeast corner of the island are impassable on foot, there are ravines and vertical rock faces, so we cannot bypass the jungle that way. We might take a boat to the southeast point and try to ascend the cliff there, but the sea offshore is full of jagged coral reefs, bad currents, and rips, and teems with sharks. More than a few boats have been wrecked on that coast. There is a dead zone in the water—you know the term Langmuir circulation ? No fish swim in it, and a man who drowns there will float in circles for days or weeks until his body rots. Not even the crabs will feed on him.”
“Nice,” Indy said.
Batiste continued: “If we went that way, did not founder, and managed to make shore, the climb would be difficult and risky at best. The rock is rotten—it seems solid, but it can crumble under your feet. Men have fallen attempting it, and carrying supplies and without training? I would not try it.”
“So we take a hike in the woods,” Indy said.
“Oui. There are a few trails for the first part, but the terrain is rough and rugged all the way, beset with streams, rocks, gullies, and most of it heavily forested. We must move with caution.” He paused. “There are many dangers in the jungle.” He glanced at Marie.
Indy caught the look. Marie gave no indication that she had.
Batiste said, “It will not be—how you say?—a walk in le parc.”
“We can walk in the park at home if that’s all we want,” Indy said.
“Two days, three?” Batiste shrugged yet again. “It will take as long as it takes.”
“And on that note, I’m going to turn in,” Indy said. “We want to get started early, while it’s still relatively cool, right?”
Batiste nodded. “Oui.”
“It has been a long day,” Mac said. “I believe I will sack out as well.”
“See you in the morning,” Marie said.
Indy watched her walk away.
He shook his head. A thing of beauty was a joy forever, and it had been a long time since he had passed this much time with an attractive woman who wasn’t trying to kill him . . .
Gruber’s scout reported back, and the doctor noticed that the fellow, a pale-skinned blond, had mosquito bites all over his face.
Gruber looked at Schäefer, who nodded. It was Gruber’s operation.
“Herr Braun, tropical insects carry a number of unpleasant diseases. Why is your skin not coated with indalone?”
“Colonel Doktor,” Braun said, “the repellent has a distinct smell. I did not wish for someone with a sharp nose to catch the odor as I spied upon them and perhaps wonder as to its source.”
Gruber shook his head. Well. You had to give the SS elite their due. That they would suffer was a
“Any idea what it’s supposed to be?” Indy asked. “This place?”
“No. The story speaks of a gris-gris there—what the form is, they do not say. Only that the site is cursed and horrors await unwary visitors.”
Indy nodded. Of course. What else was new?
He knew those terms: Ju-ju. Gris-gris. They came out of Africa, and generally referred to fetishes imbued with magic. Sometimes small leather bags of things blessed by a witch doctor, fingernails, hair, stones, animal teeth, but they could be other items—skulls, bones, or jewels. A black pearl would fit in.
Once, when he was young and thought he knew it all, Indy would have scoffed at such things as magic. He was a scientist, an educated man, not superstitious. But—after dealing with the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail? Seeing men—and a woman—turn into big spotted cats? A dragon? Only an idiot would continue to ignore the possibilities. Science did not have all the answers, and whatever else he might be, he wasn’t an idiot.
Well, not most of the time . . .
“How long do you think it will take us to get there?” That from Marie.
Batiste shrugged again. “I cannot say. We must go through the densest forest—the cliffs on the south side and the northeast corner of the island are impassable on foot, there are ravines and vertical rock faces, so we cannot bypass the jungle that way. We might take a boat to the southeast point and try to ascend the cliff there, but the sea offshore is full of jagged coral reefs, bad currents, and rips, and teems with sharks. More than a few boats have been wrecked on that coast. There is a dead zone in the water—you know the term Langmuir circulation ? No fish swim in it, and a man who drowns there will float in circles for days or weeks until his body rots. Not even the crabs will feed on him.”
“Nice,” Indy said.
Batiste continued: “If we went that way, did not founder, and managed to make shore, the climb would be difficult and risky at best. The rock is rotten—it seems solid, but it can crumble under your feet. Men have fallen attempting it, and carrying supplies and without training? I would not try it.”
“So we take a hike in the woods,” Indy said.
“Oui. There are a few trails for the first part, but the terrain is rough and rugged all the way, beset with streams, rocks, gullies, and most of it heavily forested. We must move with caution.” He paused. “There are many dangers in the jungle.” He glanced at Marie.
Indy caught the look. Marie gave no indication that she had.
Batiste said, “It will not be—how you say?—a walk in le parc.”
“We can walk in the park at home if that’s all we want,” Indy said.
“Two days, three?” Batiste shrugged yet again. “It will take as long as it takes.”
“And on that note, I’m going to turn in,” Indy said. “We want to get started early, while it’s still relatively cool, right?”
Batiste nodded. “Oui.”
“It has been a long day,” Mac said. “I believe I will sack out as well.”
“See you in the morning,” Marie said.
Indy watched her walk away.
He shook his head. A thing of beauty was a joy forever, and it had been a long time since he had passed this much time with an attractive woman who wasn’t trying to kill him . . .
Gruber’s scout reported back, and the doctor noticed that the fellow, a pale-skinned blond, had mosquito bites all over his face.
Gruber looked at Schäefer, who nodded. It was Gruber’s operation.
“Herr Braun, tropical insects carry a number of unpleasant diseases. Why is your skin not coated with indalone?”
“Colonel Doktor,” Braun said, “the repellent has a distinct smell. I did not wish for someone with a sharp nose to catch the odor as I spied upon them and perhaps wonder as to its source.”
Gruber shook his head. Well. You had to give the SS elite their due. That they would suffer was a
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